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10 of the Bravest Dogs in History (PIOG)

The phrase
â€śmanâ€™s best friendâ€ť has new meaning when you consider these brave
canines. We highlight some of the bravest dogs in history, from a black
poodle who fought in the Napoleonic Wars to the Belgian Malinois
involved in the raid on Osama bin Ladenâ€™s compound.

Hachiko

Hachiko,
an Akita Inu, is one of the most loyal dogs in history. Hachiko would
meet his owner every day at Shibuya Station in Tokyo as the owner
returned from work. In 1925, the owner died while at work and never
returned home. Hachiko returned to the train station day after day, even
escaping from new owners to await the return of his deceased owner.

Laika

History
remembers Yuri Gagarin as the first man in space in 1961, but he was
preceded in 1957 by Laika, a female terrier mix who was scooped up from
the streets of Moscow and rocketed into history â€” becoming the first
animal to orbit the Earth. Launched in the Russian satellite Sputnik 2,
Laika became a global celebrity as the world marveled at her bravery.

Awe
quickly turned to anger as it was revealed not long after the launch
that the Soviets did not have a way to return Laika safely to Earth.
She died after four days in the satellite due to overheating, and her
remains were incinerated as Sputnik 2 re-entered Earthâ€™s atmosphere.

Smoky

This
4-pound Yorkshire terrier lived large. Smoky was found in the jungle of
New Guinea and soon was purchased by an American soldier, Bill Wynne.
Wynne trained her, according to the Yorkie Doodle Dandy website, and
the tiny, 7-inch dog accompanied him for two years during World War II.
While abroad, she entertained troops and earned honors for her
bravery, saving Wynneâ€™s life on at least one occasion by warning him of
incoming fire on a transport ship.

After the
war, Smoky and Wynne went home to Cleveland, Ohio, and continued to
entertain veterans and the public. She is memorialized with a statue in
Lakewood, Ohio.

Balto

Balto was
the lead sled dog on the last leg of a famous, life-saving medical
delivery to Nome, Alaska, in 1925. There was a serious outbreak of
diphtheria in the city, and medical officials needed antitoxins to
prevent the upper respiratory tract infection from spreading. The
nearest doses were in Anchorage. Officials were forced to rely on
dogsleds to deliver the antitoxins because the extreme cold made other
modes of transport impossible. The run took seven days.

By the
time Balto and his team were on the road with their cargo, sled driver
Gunnar Kaasen (with Balto at left) could barely see in front of him and
was forced to rely on the dogs to reach Nome without his direction.
Balto was celebrated as a hero upon their arrival in Nome and later
with a media tour. A statue was dedicated to him in Central Park in New
York City.

Belgian Malinois

One of four varieties of Belgian sheep
herding dogs, Belgian Malinois are highly regarded for their ability to
perform in dangerous situations. Used by SWAT teams and militaries
around the world, the dogs are easily trained for all sorts of tasks,
including sniffing out drugs and bombs, personal protection and
search-and-rescue missions.

Though easily mistaken for German
shepherds, these dogs have a more elegant build than their cousins,
without sacrificing speed, strength or agility.

Dogs in Iraq and Afghanistan

Many types of dogs serve in operations
in Iraq and Afghanistan, but they are especially helpful in bomb and
drug detection operations. Many of the dogs are killed in combat, the
result of explosions or confrontations with insurgent forces.

Tsunami-surviving dogs

Dogs arenâ€™t only manâ€™s best friend,
they also help one another. After an earthquake and tsunami rocked Japan
in March, residents scrambled for shelter. The media was stunned by
the dog who stayed by the side of an injured dog. The guard dog growled
and barked at approaching humans, no doubt concerned for his canine
companionâ€™s welfare.

Eventually, rescuers were able to calm down the dog â€” enough to bring both dogs to safety

Sgt. Stubby

Serving with the 102nd Infantry, 26th
(Yankee) Division, Sgt. Stubby was a pit bull mix who snuck his way
onto the battlefields of World War I in France and became the unitâ€™s
mascot. Shortly after arriving, Stubbyâ€™s unit was hit with a gas
attack. After that, Stubby â€” with his keen ears and nose â€” would alert
his unit to incoming attacks to give the men time to put on gas masks.

Stubby became an ideal
search-and-rescue dog. He sniffed out a German spy, earning him a
promotion to sergeant, the only dog ever to receive such a promotion
through combat.

Mancs

A famous rescue dog from Hungary, Mancs
(whose name means â€śpawâ€ť) was a member of the Spider Special Rescue
Team of Miskolc, Hungary. Mancs and the team traveled around the world
to search for survivors after earthquakes. Mancs was known for his keen
sense of smell and the clear signal he sent to rescuers to indicate if
someone was alive under the rubble.

A statue of Mancs (at left) was erected in Miskolc in 2004, two years before his death.

Rags

Rags, a mixed-breed terrier, fought
alongside the U.S. 1st Infantry division in World War I. Pvt. James
Donovan stumbled upon the dog while he was in Paris â€” initially using
the dog as an excuse to avoid being arrested for being away without
leave. He returned to duty, bringing along the dog as a division
mascot. Rags soon became a carrier dog, delivering notes across
dangerous fields to various posts.

Rags and Donovan were both involved in a
serious gas attack and were shipped back to the United States. Donovan
died in the hospital, but Rags survived and became a celebrity around
the country, eventually ascending to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He
was buried with military honors in Silver Spring, Md.

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